Imperial And Colonial Policy

Question 1

What characteristic of British rule was shared by both India and Egypt?

Answer 1

The right to self-rule was explicitly denied.

Question 2

British officials appointed by London continued to enjoy unrestrained power in the Indian Raj.

This was until what date?

Answer 2

At least 1909 when an element of representative government was introduced at provincial level.

Question 3

Was was the objective of the British officials? (At the top was the Viceroy, backed by Indian Civil Service)

Answer 3

To ensure that the regime was secure, the native peoples acquiescent (if not content) and India profitable to Britain.

Question 4

Economic and social development also required more British intervention into a Indian life.

How did the Civil Service assert this?

Answer 4

To some extent, through a policy of divide and rule.

They emphasised the divisions in India (race, caste, religion, region and occupation) and asserted Britain’s moral authority to bring enlightened reform to such a diverse nation.

Question 5

What is an example of educated Indian representation?

Answer 5

They were given a degree of representation on provincial councils in the reforms of 1892 and 1909.

Question 6

How did the British exploit this manufactured division between the Indian peoples?

Answer 6

They exploited the division between the educated Indians and illiterate rural masses to create an ‘Anglo-Indian’ administrative elite.

Question 7

When was the Indian National Congress established?

Answer 7

1885 - representative body for the ‘middle class’ Indians who had growing criticisms of British rule.

Question 8

What did the Indian National Congress campaign for?

Answer 8

Home rule.

Question 9

What did the Indian National Congress specifically criticise the British for?

Answer 9

The trading arrangements, restraints on Indian industry and the heavy taxation to which the Indians were subjected in order to pay the high-earning British civil servants of the Raj.

Question 10

Curzon formed what group to increase the efficiency of the civil service?

Answer 10

The Imperial Cadet Corps - 1901

Question 11

What did the Imperial Cadet Corps do?

Answer 11

It gave native princes and elite figures military training and ‘special’ officer commissions.

Question 12

Viceroy Curzon was a strong advocate of reform.

What else did he reform?

Answer 12

The universities and police.

Lowered taxes.

Adopted the gold standard to ensure a stable currency.

Railway expansion.

Irrigation.

Question 13

However, what failure is Curzon most known for?

Answer 13

His ill-fated attempt to divide the province of Bengal in 1905.

Caused him to resign in 1905.

Question 14

The defence of India was another one of Curzon’s concerns, what did he create to bolster defence?

Answer 14

In 1901 he created the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP).

It was created to protect the border from feared Russian incursions .

Question 15

When was the partition of Bengal?

Answer 15

1905

Question 16

How did Curzon decide Bengal to be divided?

Answer 16

Into two separate provinces:

A Muslim-majority province of East Bengal and Assam

A Hindu-majority province of West Bengal.

Question 17

How did the Hindu Indian peoples react to the partition?

Answer 17

It produced uproar among the Hindu elite of West Bengal, many of whom owned land in East Bengal that they leased to Muslim peasants.

The Hindus saw the partition as pay-back for their criticisms of British rule and there were strikes, protests and boycotts of British-made goods.

Question 18

How did the Muslim Indian peoples react to the partition?

Answer 18

The Muslim elite supported the partition.

The following year they formed the All India Muslim League in 1906 which safeguarded the rights of a Indian Muslims.

Question 19

How was the Muslim/Hindu conflict exploited by the British?

Answer 19

Used as a justification for British control as the only means of avoiding serious religious conflict.

Question 20

When were the two parts of Bengal reunited?

Answer 20

1911

Question 21

What did the All India Muslim League make its goal in 1913?

Answer 21

Self-government for India.

Question 22

When was Minto Viceroy?

Answer 22

(1905-10)

Question 23

What burden did Viceroy Minto inherit from Viceroy Curzon?

Answer 23

He was left to deal with the fall-out of Curzon’s plans. (Bengal)

Question 24

With the help of the new Liberal government and John Morley, Secretary of State for India, what reforms were introduced by Viceroy Minto?

Answer 24

He introduced a limited programme of reforms in 1909 in an attempt to appease the Bengalis - branded as the ‘Morley-Minto reforms’.

Question 25

What did the Indian Councils Act (1909) do?

Answer 25

Enabled 27 Indians to be elected from provincial constituencies to the Viceroy’s council, they advised the Viceroy and assisted in the making of laws.

The reform provided greater Indian representation in government.

Question 26

Further democratic reform in 1910 provided how many seats in provincial councils?

Answer 26

135 - Thus, they could play a greater part in government at a provincial level.

Question 27

How did Viceroy Hardinge (1910-16) appease the Indians?

Answer 27

He used the visit of King-Emperor George V to India in 1911 as an opportunity to reunite Bengal in 1911.

Question 28

However, how did Viceroy Hardinge undermine the revolutionary Hindu groups?

Answer 28

He moved the Indian capital from Calcutta to Delhi (a Muslim stronghold).

Question 29

There were further hindrances to the British freedom of action.

What are the Capitulations?

Answer 29

All foreigners in Egypt came under regulations known as the Capitulations - privileges once granted by the Sultan to protect Europeans from Muslim laws against Christians.

Any new Egyptian law affecting Europeans had to be approved by the governments of all countries represented in Egypt, which slowed down law making.

Question 30

What is the Caisse de la Dette?

Answer 30

(Included Austria-Hungary, France, Germany, Russia, Italy as well as Britain)

This controlled Egypt’s finances, about half the country’s revenue went to paying European bond-holders.

The members of the Caisse could prevent the British Consul-General from spending Egypt’s money on matters they disproved of.

(eg. Cromer’s plans to use Egyptian money to finance the re-conquest of the Sudan were thwarted by Russia and France)

Question 31

What were the Mixed Courts?

Answer 31

These had been set up to deal with cases involving both Egyptians and Europeans but were presided over by European and Egyptian judges who were not always supportive of the British.